The current generation C27 Nissan Serena was introduced in Japan on July 2016. Two years later in May 2018, a locally-assembled variant of the Nissan Serena S-Hybrid was launched in Malaysia, produced at the Tan Chong Motor Assemblies’ Segambut plant.

Five years into its model life, the C27 Serena is now due for a replacement. An all-new 2022 Nissan Serena is expected to be launched next year, with a preview possible as early as October 2021.

According to some reports from the Japanese press, the next generation Serena will be sold exclusively with e-Power engines.

With this, the current S-Hybrid variant will be retired.

Also read: Scoop: Next-gen 2021 Nissan Serena to debut in Oct with mini-Elgrand looks?

e-Power is Nissan’s full-hybrid solution but unlike regular parallel-type full-hybrid models from Honda or Toyota, Nissan’s e-Power is a series-hybrid, meaning that the combustion engine doesn’t drive the wheels, but acts only as a generator to recharge the high voltage battery.

You may think of e-Power as an electric vehicle with its own on-board generator (but you can't call it an EV since there's no external charging). Why bother doing so you ask? Well Nissan says this series-hybrid solution is cheaper and offers superior fuel economy. Since the combustion engine can be made smaller, cost and weight is kept low and the car can be driven with electric-power all the time. As the engine doesn’t need to drive the wheels, it can operate at its most efficient range all that time.

e-Power was only introduced to the C27 Serena mid-way into its model lifecycle, in March 2018.

The current outgoing C27 generation Serena is offered in three powertrain options:

Japan gets both the series-hybrid e-Power 1.2-litre 3-cylinder HR12DE engine that’s paired to an EM57 motor as well as the mild S-Hybrid 2.0-litre MR20DD 4-cylinder paired to a tiny SM24 motor. The latter is the same engine used in our local-specs Serena S-Hybrid.

Meanwhile, Singapore and Hong Kong sells only the e-Power variant.

Indonesia sells the same M20DD-powered Serena as Malaysia, but minus the SM24 S-Hybrid motor.

All engines are paired to a CVT-type automatic.  

The current C27 Nissan Serena e-Power makes 136 PS and 320 Nm – the EM57 motor makes 95 PS, while the 1.2-litre 3-cylinder HR12DE engine makes 84 PS and 103 Nm. Don’t bother verifying the figures by adding the output of the motor and engine because the total system output of electrified drivetrains cannot summed up this way.

For comparison, the Serena S-Hybrid makes 150 PS and 200 Nm, higher power but lower torque than the e-Power.

But what’s more important is that the e-Power variant has a claimed fuel consumption (WLTC standard) of 5.6-litre/100 km, versus the S-Hybrid’s 7.6-litre/100 km – big difference in a country like Japan, where drivers pay RM 5.60 per litre for regular RON 90 petrol.

Like for like, the Serena e-Power costs about 20 percent more than the S-Hybrid.

We don’t know if the all-new Nissan Serena will continue to remain in Edaran Tan Chong Motor’s line-up, as the model has had an on/off history in Malaysia.

We certainly hope that the Serena stays on sale here as it’s the most practical family car on-sale today.

Also read: Review: The Nissan Serena will not inspire you, but few other MPVs can do a better job 

Forget about SUVs. If practicality is what you want, few cars can match the Serena’s wide-opening powered sliding doors’ ease of entrance / exit (even more so if you are carrying a baby). Its low ride height is makes it easy for children and the elderly to get in / out unassisted while the split-opening tailgate makes us wonder why all tailgates aren’t made this way?